Kearns Goodwin, Glenn up next in Jefferson Series

Monday

Apr 21, 2014 at 12:01 AMApr 29, 2014 at 3:06 PM

The Jefferson Series of community lectures continues May 20 with author Doris Kearns Goodwin and June 12 with astronaut and politician John Glenn at New Albany's Jeanne B. McCoy Community Center for the Arts.

LORI WINCE, ThisWeek Community News

The Jefferson Series of community lectures continues May 20 with author Doris Kearns Goodwin and June 12 with astronaut and politician John Glenn at New Albany's Jeanne B. McCoy Community Center for the Arts.

The new series organized and sponsored by the New Albany Community Foundation began Feb. 5 with a chat between two successful businessmen: Leslie Wexner of New Albany and T. Boone Pickens of Texas.

"We were inspired by the success of A Remarkable Evening, our annual fundraiser," said Craig Mohre, executive director of the New Albany Community Foundation. "We wanted to extend that model, hold it in the McCoy and make it much more accessible."

The community foundation hosts speakers for A Remarkable Evening at the Leslie and Abigail Wexner estate. The Wexners underwrite the event, which allows money raised to benefit foundation initiatives and local programs sponsored by the foundation.

In past years, the event speakers would talk to high school students during the day and media access was given to the evening fundraiser. The past two speakers, former President Bill Clinton and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, were unable to speak to the students and the evening fundraiser was closed to media.

Mohre said both Kearns Goodwin and Glenn will meet with high school students in the day and then speak to the community in the evening.

Kearns Goodwin is a presidential historian and Pulitzer-prize winning author who served as an assistant to President Lyndon Johnson in his final year in the White House and helped him write his memoirs, according to a press release on the event.

Mohre said her lecture was close to being sold out last week. Only a handful of tickets remained earlier this week.

Glenn is an Ohio native who attended Muskingum University in New Concord before earning his pilot's license and entering the U.S. Marines in 1943, the same year he married his wife, Anna.

He was a Marine test pilot for several years, becoming the first American to orbit the earth on Feb. 20, 1962. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1974 and returned to space in 1998, becoming the oldest person to have flown in space, according to the release.

Glenn will be interviewed by journalist Charlie Rose, who is known for his PBS show.

"I think he's one of the most respected moderators out there," Mohre said.

He said there were several tickets to the John Glenn lecture still available.

Both lectures will begin at 7 p.m.

Tickets are $36.35 and $23.90 for adults and $7.55 for high school or college students. They are available at mccoycenter.org.

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